The object belongs to the poorly known sub-kilometer category of asteroids in the main belt. An asteroid roughly the size of Rome’s Colosseum — between 300 to 650 feet (100 to 200 meters) in length — has been detected by an international team of European astronomers using NASA's James Webb Space Te
), in which the team serendipitously detected an interloping asteroid. The object is likely the smallest observed to date by Webb and may be an example of an object measuring under 0.6 miles in length within the main asteroid belt, located between. More observations are needed to better characterize this object’s nature and properties.
“Our results show that even ‘failed’ Webb observations can be scientifically useful, if you have the right mindset and a little bit of luck,” elaborated Müller. “Our detection lies in the main asteroid belt, but Webb’s incredible sensitivity made it possible to see this roughly 100-meter object at a distance of more than 100 million kilometers.”
What’s more, this result suggests that Webb will also be able to serendipitously contribute to the detection of new asteroids. The team suspects that even short MIRI observations close to the plane of the solar system will always include a few asteroids, most of which will be unknown objects.
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
Similar News:Vous pouvez également lire des articles d'actualité similaires à celui-ci que nous avons collectés auprès d'autres sources d'information.
James Webb Spots Asteroid With Its Own Saturn-Like RingsFirst spotted in 2013, astronomers have come back for another, extremely rarely look at the centaur called Chariklo that they now think harbors ice water.
Lire la suite »
The James Webb May See the First Stars to Appear in the UniverseAstronomers continue to hunt for the elusive kind of star known as Population III stars, the first stars to appear in the young universe.
Lire la suite »
Study Provides Darkest-Ever View of Primordial Interstellar IcesResearchers used the James Webb Space Telescope to examine primordial interstellar ices. An international team consisting of Southwest Research Institute, Leiden University, and NASA utilized observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to achieve the darkest view yet of a dense interste
Lire la suite »
New asteroid photobombs Webb telescope | CNNThe James Webb Space Telescope has observed its smallest cosmic object to date — a previously unknown asteroid about the size of the Colosseum in Rome.
Lire la suite »
I regret playing the original Dead Space before the remake | Digital TrendsPlaying the 2008 version of DeadSpace before the remake sounded like a good idea at first, but I wish I'd left my memory hazy.
Lire la suite »
SpaceX Crew-6 astronauts gear up for Feb. 26 launch to space stationCrew-6 will work in Earth orbit after launch on Feb. 26, but the mission could also aid the next generation of missions to the moon.
Lire la suite »